Kyler Murray is not exactly comfortable sharing reps with fellow Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Murray, who recently left the Arizona Cardinals for Minnesota, spoke about the situation this Tuesday at a press conference, during which he admitted that he’s having some trouble adapting to this system.
He said that over the last six years at Arizona, he became used to taking most reps, and that having to share time with another quarterback has made it more difficult to adapt to the new system. Here’s how Murray explained the difficulty of his situation:
“Having to split reps, already being behind, not getting the amount of reps you would typically want a guy to get learning the offense, that’s the toughest part.”
McCarthy has been with the Vikings for the last two seasons, having been picked as the 10th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft after having led the Michigan Wolverines to a national title in 2023.
He suffered a season-ending injury ahead of the 2024 season, becoming the first first-round-picked quarterback to miss the entirety of his rookie season. In 2024, he started in 10 games, while also being limited due to injury, and led them to a 6-4 record over that time.
Does J.J. McCarthy Want To Be Traded Away For The 2026 Season?
There have been rumors that J.J. McCarthy wants to leave Minnesota, as it’s unlikely that he will be the starter going into the third season. Kyler Murray is a far more experienced quarterback, who was the 2019 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and a two-time Pro Bowler. Not only that, but he was a far more accomplished individual college performer, having won the Heisman Trophy in his senior year.
Yet, this doesn’t make McCarthy want to shirk away from competition with Kyler Murray. During the same camp in which Murray expressed his frustrations with sharing reps, the former Michigan quarterback said the following to reporters:
“I think I made it very clear I wanted to be here before I got here,” the 23-year-old McCarthy told reporters. “I love this organization. I love the coaching staff. I absolutely love these players to death. This is where I want to be.
“I feel like I can thrive in this system, and it’s just – everything played out exactly how I wanted it. I wouldn’t want anything else to change.”
Regardless, Murray has to be considered the favorite to take over the starting job come Week 1 of the 2026 season.
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